NBA Career in Doubt After Greg Oden Arrested on Battery Charge

By Michael Terrill

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When NBAteams are non-committal and very hesitant to sign a player who has been plagued with injuries throughout his career, the last thing he needs to do is give another reason not to sign him. Unfortunately, free agent center Greg Oden did just that when he got arrested early Thursday morning for allegedly punching his ex-girlfriend.

Oden, who played in 23 games for the Miami Heatin 2013-14 after missing more than two seasons with various injuries, admitted to going after his ex-girlfriend after an argument went south quickly.

“Things got out of control and I started to go after the victim,” Oden was quoted saying in the Lawrence Police Department report, according to Fox 59.

“I was wrong and I know what has to happen,” Oden told officers.

When police arrived on the scene, the victim was on the ground covered in blood. There was also blood on the sofa and floor of the house. The victim had lacerations throughout her face, including the forehead and nose.

As in some cases with professional athletes and domestic abuse, the victim attempted to cover up what really happened by saying that she fell and hurt herself. However, that story fell through when she failed to tell police when, where and how she fell.

Even though this is an incredibly disturbing story involving a once promising basketball star, the fact that Oden came clean immediately and stated that he knows “what has to happen” certainly counts for something.

There is no telling what will happen from here as Oden is currently in custody. The assumption is that he will be charged with battery, which will put his NBA career in doubt.